Apparatus for drying, specifically ironing



Dec. 29,` 1931.; G. T. HuxFoRD 1,838,943

APPARATUS FOR PRYING, SPECIFICALLY IRONING Filed April 19, 1928 Patented Dec.- 29, l1931` GEORGE r. HUxroaro, orrnovrnnncn, anonnrsnnn APPARATUS. non DRYING, srncIFIoALLYIRomNe "Application fneanprnia, 192s. seriailnaanoi.

. My invention relates to an improved appa.

ratus fordrying. While my invention mayV beappliedfto any type offdrying `intextile,` paper-In'aking: f,` or otherindustries, particularlyin machinesL employing the y general typeof rollsknown ascalendering rolls, itl

specifically relatesv tothe general` type of ironing `machines having-` an undulating ironing bed and a plurality; ofperforated cylindrical drying rolls mounted within the undulations of said` ironing bed,l in V'offset relationship thereto such as isv shown for instance in PatentV No. 1,432,940 issued'Oct. 24", `1922, to

Thomas J. Yates.

A feature off my invention Consists in disr'zhargingair,` preheated to increase its mois; ture absorbingcapacity7 under pressure outwards through ai perforated dryingmember.)

It is'well-lniown that heating air makes-it capable ofv absorbing,v moremoisture and' thereby" increases its drying eficiency,` but sofar as I amV aware no one has hitherto ap-V plied this principle in drying machinery.

A While I am aware that others have created a vacuum with theinterior of a hollowdry`- ing member to suck air in through the perforated drying surface thereof1 so far as I am awareno one has hitherto blownor cir-,`

. ably outof doorspis forced into the rolls, and

thence after heatingrr thoroughly', the padding.. By thevacuum method,y one or more suction blowers `create a partial `vacuum rin theroom, (thusexhausting the moisture pre` viously extracted fromthe clothes),- while the insides vofthe rolls ,are connected with an air supply from outside of the room.` A fun there .object of my `inventiom therefore, is to provide suction means to` not onlyVV 'draw the preheated air out through the rolls vor other members employed, but also to simultaneously exhaust thefroomV of preheated air.- A fur# ther object` of'my invention'i's tofvprovide a drying machine capable of'carrying out `this functicn: A further 'object of my'invention relatestola provisionof aspecic-rotatable roll capable of carrying this out. Y Y

Where a steam coil is inserted within a ro-` tatable drying roll a certain amount ofwater becomes condensedV thereinV and a feature ofmy invention relates to the removal of con dense'dfwater froma rotating cylindrical rolland! includes passin' the steam axially into the :member in a con ned helical path, Where--` by the inertiaofthe condensed waterror gravityor both may onrevolution of therollt cause its ownr discharge through ai suitable dis-f charge "ductY A feature of my invention therefore specifically relates't'oa drying roll` having' convolutedsteam coils therein capable offthisdischarge of* condensed water.Y i These andsuch other'objects offmy-inveni tion; as may hereinafter appearwill'be bestv 'understoodfrom a description ofthe accompanyi-ng drawin s which illustrateY an ein-L bodi'men't thereo fappliedto an ironingma-` chine. u f "f A f In the drawings; Fig. A 1 is a'diagrammatic sectional view'of an undulating bed'ironing machine lof a standard type adapted to 'iron a streamof' clothes. l Y i" f Fig. 2'isalongitudinal sectional? view of my preferred type off invention vwith `the steam coil arrangedv inhelic'al convolutions withinaroll, partially shown inelevation. g'o

Figf3 isl a'longitudinal sectionalview off an embodiment ofmy invention differing in certain slight features from the-embodiment offmy' invention. shown in .'Fig. 2', partially shown in elevation. j

- VInthe drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, 10 generally indicates the undulating horizon- -taldryifngbed of a-standard `type of'ironing machine having thespaced undulations 12 therein, the ironing bed being normally holbed 10. Means are provided to rotate said rolls. A continuous stream of clothes is adapted to be inserted at the front end 18 of the undulating passage-way 16 and passed by rotation of the rolls through the undulating passage-way 16, being discharged at the opposite end 2O of-said passage-way and machine in ironed condition.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the rolls 14 are preferably radially perforated as shown at 22 and are provided with the fiexible pervi-V ous covering 24 constructed ofsuitable material to permit a passage of air radially outwards therethrough. As stated previously, my invention broadly consists in passing material to be dried across the pervious drying surface of a drying member and circulating air under pressure preheated to increase its moisture absorbing capacity outwards through the member, whereby the preheated air may penetrate the material to be dried and take away a relatively greater amount of moisture therefrom. In my preferred embodiment the drying members having perforated drying surfaces comprise the rolls 14 provided with the drying surfaces 26, which comprise the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls 14 having the perforations 22 therein. I provide means to discharge air under pressure outwards preferably radially through the perforated drying surfaces 26 and thus into contact with the material to be dried or ironed, said means'may comprise a blower (not shown) Vsuitably connected by means of a suitable pipe 28 to the interior 30 of the perforated drying roll 14. I also provide in combination therewith means to preheat'said air before said discharge to increase its moisture absorbing capacity. This drying action of the air and of the radiant heat from the steam coil is not confined to the clothes, nor is its major benefit secured directly. It causes the padding through which it passes to be rapidly dried during that portion of its revolution when it is Anot in contact with the clothes, thus making it (the padding) much more absorbent while in contact with the clothes. In my preferred embodiment said means comprises the steam coil 34 or 34" preferably contained within the interior 30 of the roll and connected to the steam inlet pipe 36. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 I provide the driving pulley 38 on the roll shaft for rotation thereof. In the embodiments .shown in Figs. 2 and 3 I provide the hollow trunnions 40 and 40b adapted to be mounted in suitable bearings 42 in each end of the roll 14 which form said roll shaft.

As stated, however, a feature of my invention. relates to an improved apparatus and specific construction of steam coil which will automatically on rotation thereof through the inertia of the condensed water itself, as well as by gravity, cause a discharge thereof and comprises an apparatus' for discharging condensed water from a steam heated rotatable member which comprises passing the steam axially through the drying member in a convoluted confined path whereby the in ertia of the condensed water may on rotation of the member cause its own discharge. 'Io this end as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 I preferably construct the steam coil in the form of a helical coil 34 contained within the hollow interior 30 of the roll adjacent the cylindrical wall'26 thereof. Figs. 2 and 3 specifically illustrate constructions of drying rolls capable of carrying out this feature of my invention. Each of the embodiments shown in Figs. 2 and 3 consists of a hollow rotatable perforated drying roll having a perforated cylindrical drying surface 26, hollow duct forming trunnions 40l and 40b at each end thereof and an additional substantially annular duct 44 at one end thereof having an enlarged annular passage-way 46 at the outer end thereof and a convoluted steam coil 34 or 34 respectively contained within said roll having the ends thereof connected to two of the three ducts 40a, 40b or 44.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the ends of the steam coil 34 are suitably connected to the hollow trunnions 40a and 40", the steam inlet pipe 36 is connected to the hollow trunnion 40b and an additional steam outlet pipe 48 is suitably connected to the opposite trunnion 40a. The steam is thereby passed through the roll, through the steam inlet pipe 36, the hollow trunnion 40", and the helical'coil 34 .and out through the hollow trunnion 40a and the steam discharge pipe 48. The air inlet pipe 28 is suitably connected to the annular portion 46 of the substantially annular duct 44 and is directly discharged into the interior 30 of the roll 14 through said annular duct 44.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, however, the steam is admitted through the steam inlet pipe 36 connected to the hollow truunion 40b to which is connected the intake end of the steam coil 34. The outlet of the steam coil 34 however, is suitable connected to the substantially annular duct 44 which now becomes a discharge duct for the discharge of steam and condensed water from the coil 34" out through the medium of the enlarged annular duct 46 and discharge pipe 48. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 air is admitted through the air inlet pipe 28 connected to the hollow trunnion 40u.

While both of the embodiments shown in Figs. 2 and 3 employ my improved principle of passing the steam axially through the member in a confined convoluted path, the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 is slightly more uniform in its heat transfer relationship. It is obvious that on rotation of the roll the water condensed in each convolution 50 of the coil will settle by the force'of gravity in the bottom thereof and on continued revolution of the coil will automatically travel t0- wards the end of the coil to which the discharge pipe is attached and willy automatically be ejected through the discharge pipe 48 on continued revolution of the roll.

In the embodiments hitherto described, air has been forcedA outwards by a pressure blower through the perforated drying surface of the drying member. It is obvious, however, that this circulation may be caused by means of a negative pressure or a suction blower to suck the air outwards through said surface.

As it is thus apparent that as the air may be forced outwards through the drying surfaces 26 either by a blower under' positive pressure or by a suction pump under negative` pressure, I, therefore, employ the word pres sure in the claim to signify either a positive or a negativey pressure. y

In the claim I employ the word perforated to indicate any pervious drying surface which will permit the passage of air outwards therethrough. While with a multiple roll ironing machine, it is obvious that certain features thereof may be applied in any type of a drying member, preferably a roll used for drying purposes inv any industry. l

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments Vshown or methods described and that various deviations may be made therefrom without dep arting from the spirit and scope of the appended claim. v

What I claim is:

In combination a hollow rotatable ironing machine roll having a substantially uniformly perforated cylindrical 'drying surface, an air duct to admit airunder pressure to the interior of said roll and a helical steam coil contained within the hollow interior of said roll to preheat said air prior to its radial discharge through the perforated drying surface wound opposite Vthe desired direction of revolution of said roll when viewed from the steam inlet end of the roll, and means to revolve said roll in a direction opposite to the windings of said helical steam coil, whereby the inertia or gravity of the condensed water and steam may cause vits discharge through the discharge end of the coil on revolution of the roll.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. y

GEORGE T. HUXronn.

I have shown my invention employed in connection 

